How to Make Your Own Solar Panels and Save a Lot of Money

You've made the decision to go green and to save on your house's electrical account, but need to gain knowledge of how to make your own solar panels.

Chances are you have already observed that to get a solar power system set up by a professional solar business can break the bank and it will take you many years to recoup your starting financial layout in solar energy from your monthly savings on your electricity bill. The best way is to do it yourself and find out how to make your own solar panels.

The solar panels required for generating electricity use photovoltaic (PV) components that most individuals cannot build without special equipment and knowledge. Some people may think that PV or solar cells seem to be uncomplicated in design and they should be easy to construct. Yet, the materials used in the make of PV cells are very specific and need to be produced in exactly the right conditions. The ultra concentrated crystalline silicon and conducting metals needed for manufacturing a PV solar cell are not easily obtainable. You will definitely not find them at your local home improvement store.

If you want to study how to make your own solar panels, you have to start with buying the solar panels and construct the rest of the solar power system yourself. You can, however, combine more solar panels yourself, if you need to generate more power.

A solar electric module or solar panel consists of a sheet of highly durable, low reflective, tempered glass with an aluminum frame and with the individual solar cells fixed to the inner surface of the glass. Individual solar cells are wired in series strings to increase the panel's voltage and the series strings are again wired in parallel to increase the panel's current output.

The back of the solar panel is protected by another sheet of tempered glass or a different type of durable material. The output of the series and parallel connections are passed through the protective backing and then wired to a weather proof junction box mounted to the back of the panel. The panel's output connections are made in the junction box and this is where you to obtain the electricity from the panel.

A solar panel could also consist of several modules wired together, and is then also called an array of solar modules. Solar panels can also be wired in series or parallel to increase the total current or voltage output needed to power your home. Solar panels are placed in your yard or on your rooftop where they can get the most amount of sun during daytime.

The electricity from the solar panels flows as direct current (DC) at a low voltage, but household appliances require alternating current (AC) at a higher voltage. An inverter is then used to convert the DC (usually about 12 volts) to AC (110 volts or 220 volts, depending on where you live).

No electricity is generated when the sunlight is not available at night or on overcast days. Particular batteries (called deep-cycle batteries) are used to store surplus electricity during sunny days, and electric power is obtained from the batteries when the sun is not available. A charge controller is required to ensure that the batteries aren't overcharged or drained too much. This will ensure that the battery lasts longer.

The best way to find out how to make your own solar panels, is to get a professional guidebook. Such a guide will show step-by-step just how to connect all the parts together in such an easily comprehensible way that even a high school child should be able to do it. It will also tell you what components to buy and where to get them -- very essential if you want to learn how to make your own solar panels.

Click here for an excellent guidebook that shows you exactly How to Make Your Own Solar Panels.